Shoreline Drive cottage ‘ready to grow’

July 5, 2024|by Erik Torkells

Some remarkable new announcements….

Take one last look at Santa Barbara as it once was, in this 1951 single-story cottage at 1204 Shoreline Drive ($4.795 million), while you can. But it’s not just about “growing up”; the current floor plan needs to be rethought, too.

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Two new listings in Birnam Wood are a chance to see just how vibrant the community is. The recent off-market sale of a three-bedroom apartment for $15.74 million speaks in favour very It’s hot, but this property must have been turnkey, or close enough, to fetch that figure. The three-bedroom 500 Eastgate Lane ($8.7 million) will almost certainly be renovated by the next owner; evidence of a life well-lived is everywhere, including outside, where the gardens are sprawling and established. The 1.89-acre lot is huge for Birnam, with the neighbours much further apart than elsewhere in the development. (And the golf course, rather than other homes, is across the street.) Of course, the location along Sheffield Drive means there’s street noise to contend with. P.S. This is the first time 500 Eastgate Lane has been on the market since it was built in 1985…

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…while Birnam Wood Drive (2005, $7.6 million), a 1989 three-bedroom that was once the home of Leslie Ridley-Tree, sold a year ago for $6.5 million. “Recent upgrades include a new air conditioning system, updated landscaping, a new roof and French drains,” the listing says, but the interiors, including the grandly proportioned rooms, are still waiting to be completed. Good news: The canary-yellow guest bedroom is intact.

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Known locally as the childhood home of supermodels Gigi and Bella Hadid, the $8.85 million home at 2347 East Valley Road was purchased in October 2022 for $5.6 million. The interiors, believe it or not, have been pared down a bit—the six-bedroom home was a monument to ornate millwork—but with less wood, the design feels scattered. And most of the yard is off to the side, vulnerable to street noise, rather than behind the house.

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“One of those houses where the architect didn’t know when to stop,” is how I described 595 Freehaven Drive ($5.825 million) in 2020, before someone finally decided to build it. I felt sorry for that bought for $3.85 million. The listing says the 1991 home was “recently renovated,” but the living room looks the same as it did four years ago. If you can overlook the aesthetic issues, you get plenty of space (6,041 square feet) with big mountain views, but about half of the 3.3-acre lot is buffer.

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You have to admire anyone with the panache to paint a house lilac. But 7035 Gobernador Canyon Road ($4.75 million) in suburban Carpinteria has style to spare, as well as gorgeous views. And two of the bathrooms have mirrored vanities, so you can admire your gorgeous knees. P.S. The 3.11 acres include “500 avocado trees, 350 Geisha coffee trees, and various fruit trees such as lemon, lime, orange and more,” as well as an inspiring art studio.

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And a few others worth checking out:
••• 711 El Bosque Road ($8.45 million): Unremarkable house in a fantastic location.
••• 828 San Roque Road ($3.895 million): Five-bedroom, built in 1958 (the roofline proves it) above Foothill Road. A professional photographer would have been helpful.
••• 3142 Baseline Avenue ($6.999 million): 1930s complex with “seven antique homes totaling more than 7,000 square feet of living space, plus stables, a riding arena and several storage structures” on 18 acres east of Ballard (below).

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